Home: the New Movie Theater of Choice

Have you ever noticed how one can’t seem to walk around the city without running into a DVD vending machine? It’s a fact, more and more people are opting to watch movies at the comforts of their homes.

According to a study conducted by Parks Associates (a marketing research firm) for example, 54% of Internet households in Canada rent movies every month but only 29% actually go out to movie theaters.

Why are video chains, online movie stores, DVD rental kiosks and other businesses offering movie buffs a chance to watch the complete works of Quentin Tarantino at the comforts of their home flourishing?

One reason of course, is the fact that most of the time, it’s cheaper to rent movies. In Manhattan movie theaters for example, the average cost of adult tickets is $11. Add in the (inflated) cost of popcorn and soda--around $8-10 dollars— and a person can easily spend $20 for watching 1 movie. Borrowing fromDVD rental machines on the other hand cost somewhere around $1 a night while buying a brand dew DVD can cost as low as $10.

The fact that the cost of renting a movie or buying a DVD does not change no matter how many people watch it also makes the idea of watching movies at home even more appealing.

The freedom watching movies at home provides is also one of the reasons why more people prefer watching Jason Bourne jump over buildings while sitting in their living room couch instead of in movie theater seats. When you watch at home, you can pause the movie to make popcorn, talk on the phone or go to the bathroom—you don’t have to miss anything. You are also free to rewind the scene if you didn’t get what the protagonist said, fast-forward it to your favorite part or watch the it over and over again.

Watching within the four walls of one’s cozy living room is also more intimate, cozy and peaceful. You won’t be bothered by the man who talks too loudly during important scenes or the girl who keeps on standing up to go to the bathroom; there’s just you and your girlfriends sighing over Tom Cruise’s “you complete me” speech in Jerry Maguire.

Fans of watching movies at home also like the fact that none of the hassles usually associated with going to the theater happens when you catch a movie at home. There’s no need to rush to theaters to get there in time for the movie’s start, no waiting in long lines, no rush hour traffic. Nowadays, you can rent movies online or even have DVDs delivered directly to your home.

A peaceful, convenient, affordable movie experience – is it really any wonder why more and more people now consider their home to be their new favorite “movie theater”?